Search form

You are here

Awards

OrigamiUSA sponsors several awards named for past supporters of the organization and the arts, as well as funds established to honor the memories of our founders and their work. Awards are typically announced each year at the Annual Meeting.

OrigamiUSA Teaching Award and Ranana Benjamin Award

The Ranana Benjamin Award for an outstanding origami teacher was sponsored by the Benjamin Family for 15 years (2002–2016). Thank you! Beginning in 2017, we have created a new award called the OrigamiUSA Teaching Award. In keeping with the spirit of Ranana, this new Award will honor an outstanding origami teacher (particularly of children).

The award goes to an OrigamiUSA member who has done meaningful work that has been recognized. The committee also considers voluntary teaching of origami and teaching of diverse populations. Beginning with the 2018 Award, the recipient will receive free convention registration, housing and meals for three nights including Monday Banquet, reimbursement of up to $500 for travel expenses, $50 to spend at The Source and a year's membership in OrigamiUSA. The Awards Committee determines who receives this award.

To make a nomination for the OrigamiUSA Teaching Award, please fill out this form. Nominations can be made at any time, but must be received by April 1 to be given in the current year.

OrigamiUSA Teaching Award Winners

2018 Mae Dean Erb

2017 Mark Burger

Ranana Benjamin Award Winners

2016 Gay Merrill Gross

2015 Michael G. LaFosse

2014 Kay Eng

2013 Jeannine Mosely

2012 MaryAnn Scheblein-Dawson

2011 John Smiley

2010 Kathy Knapp

2009 Vernon Isaac and Rachel Katz

2008 Dorothy Kaplan

2007 Mark Kennedy

2006 Yami Yamauchi

2005 Kathleen Hong Casimir and Martha Landy

2004 Erica Knopper

2003 Cyril Tessier

2002 Laura Kruskal

Florence Temko Award

The Florence Temko Award was established in 2004 by OrigamiUSA to honor a "Lone Folder" who has contributed to origami in a meaningful way. Since our world is so connected and there are fewer "lone" folders, beginning in 2017, the focus of this award is changing to celebrate innovation. We will honor a member of our community whose recent innovations have moved origami in a new direction or someone recently brought to the attention of OrigamiUSA who is using origami or origami principles in an innovative way. Examples include engineering, fashion, psychology, or any other area. Florence's prolific output of origami models and books continues to inspire origamists all over the world. The recipient will receive free convention registration, housing and meals for three nights including Monday Banquet, reimbursement of up to $500 for travel expenses, $50 to spend at The Source and a year's membership in OrigamiUSA. The Awards Committee determines who receives this award.

To make a nomination for the award, please fill out this form. Nominations can be made at any time, but must be received by April 1 to be given in the current year.

Temko "Innovation" Award Winners

2018 Robert J. Lang

2017 Meher McArthur

Temko "Lone Folder" Award Winners

2016 Isabella Gandler

2015 Barlaham Benitez Vargas

2014 Matthew Shlian

2013 Michael Schneider

2012 Juston Hairgrove

2011 Beth Johnson

2010 Roy T. Iwaki

2009 S. Matthew Jones

2008 Christine Petrell Kallevig

2007 Kuniko Yamamoto

2006 Joel Cooper

2005 Meenakshi Mukerji

2004 Lar De Souza

V'Ann Cornelius Award

In memory of the late V'Ann Cornelius OrigamiUSA announced the creation of the new V'Ann Cornelius Award for Regional Groups in 2008. This award, made to a Regional group, carries with it a credit to The Source for group purchases of origami books and paper along with ten individual memberships in OrigamiUSA, which may be given out by the local group. The award is so named to recognize the years of work that V'Ann has put in promoting local groups, writing up the handbook for local groups, and her general years of outreach supporting origami across the country and around the world. The Board of Directors of OrigamiUSA determines who receives this award.

To make a nomination for the award, please fill out this form. Nominations can be made at any time, but must be received by April 1 to be given in the current year.

V'Ann Cornelius Award Winners

2015 Boulder Folders in Boulder, CO

2014 Long Island Folding Enthusiasts (LIFE) in Long Island, NY

2013 Albuquerque Origami Society in Albuquerque, NM

2012 OrigaMIT at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA

2012 Cal Origami at the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, CA

Michael Shall Award

The Michael Shall Volunteer Recognition Award began in 1995 and is given to specific dedicated volunteers for extraordinary service to OrigamiUSA. The Board of Directors of OrigamiUSA determines who receives this award.

To make a nomination for the award, please fill out this form. Nominations can be made at any time, but must be received by April 1 to be given in the current year.

Michael Shall Award Winners

2018 Mark Kennedy

2017 Daniel Scher

2016 Serena LaVine

2016 Laura Rozenberg

2015 Marco Noguchi

2013 Ros Joyce

2011 Kathy Wallace

2010 Marc Kirschenbaum

2008 Robert J. Lang

2006 Tony Cheng

2005 Delrosa Marshall

2004 June Sakamoto, Toby Schwartz

2002 Jean Baden-Gillette

2001 Jan Polish, Kathryn Wagner

2000 Wendy Zeichner, Vicky Mihara Avery, deg farrelly

1997 Jonathan Baxter

1995 V'Ann Cornelius, Ethel Axelson

Funds

Each of the following funds was established to honor the memory of one of our founders and to carry on their work. You may send your contribution to any of these funds to the Home Office. Please remember to tell us which fund you wish to support.

If you have any suggestions about the types of projects that should be undertaken, please write to the Home Office. To inquire about the possibility of support for a particular project, send us a short written description of the activity for which assistance is being sought at least three months prior to the planned event or project.

Michael Shall Fund

The Michael Shall Fund provides sponsorship in the form of paper for public projects. Michael Shall showed his dedication to spreading the magic found in a single sheet of paper by teaching in virtually every public library and countless schools in the New York City area. The mission of the Michael Shall Fund is to share the magic of origami by spreading the knowledge and enthusiasm to the public in venues such as libraries and schools. In the past we have used the Michael Shall Fund to provide sponsorship in the form of paper for such projects as a Long Island, NY high school's Japan Club to fold cranes for a local hospital and a teacher at an Oregon senior center for the free classes she provides.

Lillian Oppenheimer Fund

The Lillian Oppenheimer Fund supports efforts toward the creation of a global village by facilitating the exchange of information and ideas. This fund provides scholarships to international conferences and brings noteworthy people to the annual convention. This fund is supplemented by the gifts of generous people who want to assure the success of these goals.

Alice Gray Fund

The Alice Gray Fund advances the teaching and diagramming of origami models and the development of international standards. Alice Gray was the communicator of origami. She was an author, prolific creator, insightful editor, articulate teacher and superb diagrammer. She was dedicated to clarity in communicating origami.